kind; kings, subjects, fathers, children, old and young people, each may there learn their particular duties." He continues, "There is no essential difference between the laws of the Jews, and the laws of China, since they worship God, honour their parents, and reverence the memory of the departed." Finally, he eulogizes the Jews, who, as agriculturalists, merchants, magistrates, and soldiers, have been deserving of the general esteem and affection, for their probity, fidelity, and strict observance of their religious ceremonies.

However interesting the foregoing details may be, it is to be lamented that the first missionaries who were on the spot for information, did not find the means of collating the whole of the printed bible with those books of the Le-pai-se, as they did many chapters of the Pentateuch, and which they found agreeing. In 1613, the Jews of Cai-fong-fou permitted the missionaries to see their synagogue, but would never show their Sacred books. About a century after the method of Father Gozani had better success, but as he acknowledged he was ignorant in the Hebrew language, the knowledge of which would have placed him in the most fortunate situation. Notwithstanding this obstacle, he, in part, satisfied the curiosity of the learned, by his zeal in research, and the care of two other missionaries, (fathers Gaubil and Domenge) who were acquainted with Hebrew. Unfortunately the persecution of the emperor, Yong-tching, which hindered them from returning to Cai-fong-fou, arrested the work of those illustrious learned men.

The Jews were careful not to sell or yield any copy of their Sacred volumes, they even refused to accept an Amsterdam edition of the Bible offered them by the missionaries in order to supply all that they lacked. How many centuries will pass before the Chinese Jews will meet with so favourable an opportunity to supply that which is wanting in their Sacred books! We will finish this article by adding some particulars concerning this colony of Jews.

Their manner of pronunciation does not differ from the Chinese; they can neither pronounce B, D, nor R, correctly in the Hebrew; their pronunciation approaches somewhat like that of

the German and Polish Jews. (10) Their almanack is the same as is common to other Jews; the same is the case with the prayer recited after the renewing of the moon. They celebrate the ninth day of the feast of tabernacles; from which we may conclude that all their customs are according to the traditions. They believe in purgatory, in hell, in paradise, the general judgment, and the resurrection of the dead. They allow Angels, Cherubim, and Seraphim, they have no particular symbol for the articles of faith; their children are circumcised on the eighth day from their birth. The Sabbath is kept with the utmost rigour, they light no fire on that day, and prepare their provision on the day preceding, they only marry among themselves, they take no pains to spread their religion, and never make proselytes. If they are obliged to make oath, they are careful not to enter into the temple of idols. Those among them who are versed in Chinese literature, have obtained a degree of great honour. They honour Confucius, and reverence the memory of their ancestors, but do not, as the Chinese, preserve their portraits, but their names are inscribed on a table placed in the inclosure of the synagogue. The repeated reading of the books of Moses, gives them a perfect knowledge thereof, but, they have not the same knowledge of the other holy books; generally they do not study the Hebrew. Their Pentateuch is written as in Europe, with a reed, and with very black ink, made for that purpose, and which is kept a year before it is used: they are forbidden to use either pencil or India-ink. They expect the coming of the Messiah; and when he is spoken of they repeat the verse, "In thy salvation I have my hope, O Lord!" (Gen. xlix. 12.) They never pronounce the ineffable name, and they know its literal meaning, viz. he who is, who was, and who will be; instead thereof, they say Adonai, and which they pronounce etounoï. "It is surprising, says L'abbé Botier, at the end of his dissertation, "that this people, dispersed in places so distant, should always be the same, never altering, even to the

10 They pronounce ... indifferently: aw

O as in cole - a broad as in all and ew as in Jew: beth like a P. and resh as an L. At the end of words they pronounce nasal letters 11 n Tohu Vobuhu they pronounce theoum oopoohum w pelcshotse and

shemutse.

end of the world; the same rites and manners as described by Tacitus, so many centuries since." It is astonishing to us what difference there is found in relation to the Hebrews, in the opinion of the Romans and the Chinese: the first, a warlike people, and conquering the known world, mistook all nations, calling them barbarians, whilst the last, a people more polished and learned than warlike, notwithstanding the preference they arrogated to themselves above others, did not fail of honouring merit wherever found." E. F.

CONVERSION OF THE JEWS.

We have always cautioned persons against expending their money to establish societies for the conversion of the Jews, not only because we consider it an impious and unwarrantable interference with the power and will of Almighty God, who has declared that he will for ever sustain and protect Israel as a distinct people, but because no confidence is to be placed in the sincerity of an apostate from the religion of his fathers.

The superstitious engaged in this work of conversion, or as they call it, evangelizing, were greatly rejoiced at the last passover in Europe, at learning, that Rabbi Drach, of Paris, (a very learned and promising young man) had been baptized publicly at the church of Notre Dame, and had embraced the Catholic faith. This miraculous conversion was trumpeted throughout Europe with great joy and effect.

It will, in all probability, cool these efforts at converting Jews, when we state that, by our last advices from Paris, we learn that this Rabbi Drach had re-entered the synagogue, and was now at the Hebrew Theological Seminary, at Mayence, doing penance, and was more devoted to his religion than ever. It is also highly honourable to the French government to mention, as a proof of their liberality in matters of faith, that this Rabbi was permitted to make any change in his religion without notice or. hinderance.

EXAMINATION OF ST. MATTHEW.

(Continued from page 265)

We will next examine the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th verses of the IVth chapter, where it is thus recorded:

"And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea-coast, in the border of Zabulon and Nephthalim; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people which sat in darkness, saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up."

If there is any meaning in language, the ideas here conveyed are, that Jesus took up his dwelling in the town of Capernaum, which is situate by the sea, with the intention, and for the purpose of fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah said he should do that the prophet Isaiah intended Jesus of Nazareth as the light: that he meant and intended Capernaum, when he said, "The people which sat in darkness, saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.'

Capernaum was situate on the sea of Galilee, west of Jordan, Zabulon, and Naphthali, on the Mediterranean, and neither o them beyond Jordan: how then could Jesus's residing in Capernaum be said to have fulfilled the words of Isaiah? Did Jesus choose this spot because it was near to the borders of Zabulon, and Naphthalim, and as near as possible to the country on the other side, (beyond, or east of Jordan?) and did the prophet say he should do so? Is not the whole merely an accommodation, and not at all a fulfilling of what was said by the prophet? Is the prophet Isaiah fairly quoted by the writer of St. Matthew? Is it not rather a wicked duplicity and perversion of the words of the prophet? which are these:

"And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon, and the land of Naphthali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."""

Matthew begins his quotation not only in the middle of a subject, in the middle of a verse, in the middle of a sentence, but even in the middle of a member of a sentence: and then how does he quote? He leaves out" and afterward did more grievously afflict her." The prophet says, "Walked in darkness :" St. Matthew has it" Sat in darkness." The prophet wrote," has the light shined." St. Matthew quotes," Light has sprnng up." Does truth require such doings? Is not this witnessing the prophet said what in reality he never did say? neither did he intend any thing like it.

What does Isaiah say? and what does he mean? The history runs thus: "In the three and twentieth year of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, (which answers to the first year of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel) the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Hazael, king of Syria, and into the hands of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, all their days; And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord hearkened unto him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them: and the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians. And the children of Israel dwelt in their tents as aforetime." II Kings. xiii. 3. This is the light affliction of the land of Zebulon, and the land of Naphthali.

Again. II. Kings. xv. 29. "In the days of Pekah, king of Israel, came Tiglath-Pulasir, king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphthali, and carried them captive to Assyria. This was a more grievous affliction. History of the trouble, darkness, and dimness, foretold by Isaiah. II. Kings, xviii. 13. "Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, did Se